Thursday, October 10, 2013

Man broke into police station wanting to be locked up after row with girlfriend

While some people try to escape police, a man in the Gordonvale suburb of Cairns, Australia, took a different tack and broke into his local station last month to try to get arrested. A taser was drawn on New Zealand citizen Karl Claude Johns, 24, after he kicked a Gordonvale police station door down and threw property around, claiming "I want to get locked up" after a boozy night and an argument with his girlfriend.

He was fined $600 in Cairns Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to commit public nuisance, wilful damage and break and enter in relation to the September 21 incident. The court heard Mr Johns showed up at the police station at about 8 o'clock on the Saturday morning, yelling obscenities and threats such as "come and try to get me". He kicked the front door of the station and then went around to a side door, which he kicked down completely.

"Bolts broke off as a result of the force," police prosecutor Tara Williams said. Once inside the foyer area, Mr Johns damaged a Queensland Transport camera and threw police property around including flowers, soft drinks and other supplies. He told an off-duty police officer at the station "I want to get locked up". Ms Williams said it was estimated the damage bill amounted to about $15,000 but Magistrate Anthony Gett said he could not order restitution because he had not seen any evidence of that sum.

Duty solicitor Jefferson Mobbs said Johns had been drinking excessively the night before and wanted to get arrested after having a argument with his girlfriend. "He went to the station in an attempt to be arrested ... it was a futile attempt at being locked up," he said. Magistrate Gett said Johns' intoxication was an explanation but not an excuse and a conviction was recorded. "You've gone to Gordonvale police station, you knocked down the police door, got into the station ... and essentially made a mess," he said.